These edible gifts are my inspiration as I head into the kitchen. There are a variety of flavors, textures and treats. I love the idea of surprising bites, and taking classic and traditional treats and adding some sophisticated flavors to them.

When you’re planning your gift giving this season, there are no little people, but there might be a need for little gifts. Small tidings of joy that share your sentiment without breaking the bank. These gifts are great for stocking stuffers, colleagues, friends, cousins’ cousins, and people who make the rest of your year easier… They are also all under $25.

There are gifts here that are great for guys, great for gals, great for foodies, great for funnies. It is hard to go wrong when giving a gift that you’re thoughtful about!

It’s so great to give a gift that pampers like a new or favorite lip color, nail polish, or very luxe beauty cream. Everyone loves a gift that feeds a passion, like cooking, entertaining, a sport, or a new career. And of course, no one turns down a gift that feeds the soul and the stomach – homemade foodie gifts are lovely, and the Peppermint Bark (at World Market for a steal!) cannot be beat.

To be totally honest, this “her” edition, is really “my” edition, and if we’re really putting all of our cards on the table, this whole blog is everything I love, want, and adore. But, I am hopeful that somewhere along the way my favorites might inspire your favorites, too.

Now, to be clear, I don’t “need” anything. But, everything on this list of “wants” are classic, timeless, and all fairly special.

For this edition of the gift guide I went a little more luxe. I think the women in our lives are always being thoughtful and taking care, these little (and big) treats are a very, very nice way to treat her at this gift giving season.

Listen, I know, sometimes it can be nearly impossible to shop for guys. I get it. They don’t make wish lists, or drop hints, and generally if they want something they get it. Oh man, men!

So my rule for shopping for Mark, the man in my life, is to just have fun with it. I listen carefully to the things he mentions, the articles/songs/books he gets excited about, and otherwise I am left with my own creativity.

For this “his edition” of the gift guide I was extra playful, a little old school and hopefully a lot of fun.

When I found a lot of these gifts it was with Mark in mind. What I really like about them is that they straddle the gap between grown up and kid – and if there is ever a time to act or feel like a kid, it is definitely at the holidays.

A lot of these gifts are food/drink related – and I think that’s great for a guy – they’re consumable and don’t require much thought. Check out microbreweries, coffee roasters, beef jerky makers, etc, for cool monthly or weekly gifts. I also really loved the old school favorites from yesteryear that are now updated like the modern movie posters, RC racers, and Pac-Man. If your guy needs some grown up gear nothing beats a perfect fitting shirt, crisp tie, timely reading, and a kitschy tray to catch all.

The people that are most excited about holiday presents are obviously the kids. If you have ever spent a Christmas morning with someone who is looking for the tag marked with their name and a “love, Santa” then you already know this.

I know a lot of pretty cool kids, but our niece and nephews were definitely the inspiration for today’s gift guide. On the cool-meter they are a 10, and they know it. They have been working on their wish lists for a little while now, and it is so interesting to see what they ask for and admire; generally it is a mix of clothes, toys and things don’t actually exist.

For this inspiration board I thought of some of the things our niece and nephews really like – bikes, Star Wars, baking, crafts and went old school. Some of these toys were my favorite as a kid, especially the spin art and the baking set. Other items just made me laugh and smile – how funny is the Chewbaca hat and how fun is the color it yourself “Yumbrella”?

What I liked most of all about these gifts is that they require lots of creativity and imagination and very few batteries – they are already much better than I am at video games!

What is your favorite gift to give to kids – or maybe your favorite gift you received as a kid? Tell me in the comments!

With Thanksgiving officially behind us all that remains is some leftover pies, a renewed commitment to working out and a big holiday shopping list!

At some point when you’re a “real adult” the joys of the holiday season extend beyond gift receiving into gift giving. I have found a collection of favorite gifts for hopefully everyone on your list, at a variety of prices, and this week I will be sharing them all with you.

First up: gifts for home. If your home is your castle, than the holiday season is the perfect time to gift people with little treats and trinkets that they might not ordinarily splurge on for themselves.

When I found a lot of these gifts it was with a new homeowner in mind. They are special items that can’t be picked up at Bed & Beyond or IKEA, and can make even the smallest “starter” apartment feel like home.

Great gifts for the new homeowner include art to celebrate the home, ornaments for their first tree or a real menorah, a ultra soft throw blanket to upgrade from their college fleece, luxe kitchen and entertaining trinkets for when the parties graduate from kegger to cocktails.

What is your favorite gift to give for the home? Tell me in the comments!